Star Wars: Age of Lies
by Musether
Summary: The waning days of the Republic draw closer. As the Jedi Order are hunted down, a small flame of hope burns for the Galaxy. Meanwhile, a new power is poised to take over the Galaxy as the Republic slowly crumbles. All is mired in deception and deceit.R
1. Chapter 1

Lies

**Chapter One**

The sky above Coruscant's towering city loomed blood-red, the sun nothing more than a faint orange globe in the sky. Trails from speeders, transport convoys and small ships hung in the air like the fog from the netherworld.

Only the sound of a faint buzzing coming from a maintenance droid outside filtered into the secure, locked apartment of 500 Republica, home of the wealthiest politicians and other rich people on Coruscant.

The tinted windows merely reflected the feeling that Coruscant was entering its darkest days yet, illuminating patches on the wall where the sun light was intensely focused.

A table lamp lit the cosy seating area and the two occupants were silhouetted against the bright light, one reached out their hand and slowly adjusted the brightness, bringing it down to a bearable level. The light bounced off the blood-red walls and illuminated the two people sitting opposite each other, mere feet away, but judging by the feeling in the room, they could have been galaxies away from each other.

A deep voice sounded and suddenly spoke. "Jocasta, it's for your own good. You know as well as I do that the Clone Wars cannot be contained forever. Eventually some of it must overspill to the rest of the Galaxy and we must do whatever we must to prevent it, and if that fails, we must at least try to minimise the damage done."

Jocasta, her face old and wrinkled and her vocal cords slightly less plump than in the past, spoke, her voice sounding like a melody that would never end and entered peace into the heart of everyone that heard it.

"But, don't you realize that the Jedi will play no part in this? We will not be used as tools of the Chancellor; it is against our Code and goes against everything we ever stood for. True, the Clone Wars are regrettable but surely the Chancellor can manage with his Grand Army of the Republic?" She said querulously, her silvery white eyebrows rose in a questioning manner.

The other figure, now thrown into shadow, spoke, their deep voice resonating around the small apartment. "Jocasta, please, I no longer wish to hear of this. Go, now. Please, go back to the Archives and contain yourself. Certain members in the Senate find the need for the Jedi to step in as Generals of the Grand Army of the Republic and I fully back their views, as well as the Chancellor's."

With that, the figure rose up out of their small, plush seat and gestured towards the door. Jocasta stood up silently from her seat, her whole body tensed with anger. "How dare you! You impetuous, lying, filthy beast!" She attempted to continue but was stopped as she was suddenly flung against the wall and slowly choked.

"Don't you dare insult me!" The figure spoke, their voice having no accent or any type of distinguishable tone. One of their hands was slowly rising higher and higher, choking Jocasta, before letting her fall to the floor and scurry to the door.

Opening it, the figure grabbed her and shoved her out into the deserted hallway.

Then, the door slowly hissed closed and the figure drew a sigh of relief. Turning to face the reception area where they had sat a few moments before, they tidied up the area, before retiring to the bedroom, where they stared silently up at the blood-red ceiling, their face illuminated by the radiance that shone out of the walls and ceiling, before finally falling asleep.

Meanwhile, as Jocasta hurried out of 500 Republica, she didn't notice the ominous looking figures hovering on speeder bikes in a dark corner caused by the overhang on a sky dock.

Hailing a swoop back to the Temple, she rode in relative luxury, before departing and hurrying up, as fast as she could, the steps that led into the Jedi Temple.

Voices murmured and hummed in the hallways, not far down the hall, she could hear the voice of a library search droid dedicated to helping Jedi scholars and who-ever else needed to browse the Archives, beeping in dismay.

She half-ran the last few metres down the hallway, before turning into the Archives and coming face to face with the pleasant, amicable face of the Supreme Chancellor.

"Ah, Chief Librarian, I was just looking for you." He said jovially, about to go on before Jocasta interrupted him.

"Supreme Chancellor, haven't you realised this is an out of bounds area? You haven't got clearance to be in here." She said, her mouth turning down at the corners and her face looking like she was sucking a particularly sour lemon.

Her vivid blue eyes stared at him, defying him, challenging him to defy her. Instead, he merely shook his head apologetically and stepped to one side, allowing her to carry on through the doorway into the Archives, and giving him a quick escape.

Her normally pleasant face looked like it had been carved out of rock, so bleak and strict she looked. Sighing slightly, she pressed a button and announced the Archives would be closed in 3 minutes.

There was the usual scurry for the door, and then silence penetrated only by the boom as the doors sealed shut and followed by the clicking noise that indicated they were being locked.

Getting up from her desk, she headed towards the rear of the Archives and stopped before a door. Next to it were several panels, including a voice recognition one, a retinal scanner and a keypad.

After submitting the information to the small computer inside the panels, she waited for a few brief seconds before the door hissed open and she stepped into the dark, dim room as the door slowly shut again.

Here, she was inside the Outer Holocron Room. Arranged in a ring emanating from the centre of the room, were several holocrons all protected via force-field cages and a very thin plating of cortosis.

In the centre of the room, stood a large computer terminal, if she needed to access a holocron, all she had to do was simply log in, select which holocron she wanted and then enter the 25 digit security code, voice recognition code and another code that was entirely unique to the Chief Librarian and no-one else knew it.

Next to the terminal stood a small desk and embed in it, was a flashing red panel. If she were to encounter trouble, all she had to do was press that red button and it would seal down the Archives for 8 hours, before deploying enough oxygen to last that long. Then, 2 minutes after the alarm had sounded; it would open up a secret passageway leading out of the room, ensuring the occupant would get to safety in time. In theory it should work, though in practise, well… it hadn't yet happened.

Jocasta paused for a moment, brushing down her yellow robes, before advancing to the terminal and logging in. Scrolling down the list of holocrons, she ignored all those she had seen before, until one entry caught her eye. She couldn't believe how she had missed it before; after all, it dated back to beyond the Invasion of Naboo by the Trade Federation. Indeed, it dated back a fairly long way. Examining it closer on the screen, she paused and stared at the title it had been named. No, it couldn't be!

Yet here she was, staring down at possibly the only recording that had ever managed to capture the identity of the elusive Sith Lord, Darth Sidious.

Ignoring it for the moment, she cast her mind back to her chance encounter with the Chancellor and reflected on what she had done. True, she loved the man, but he had a habit of going into out of bound areas all too often. Sighing, she knew in her heart that she loved him, and would apologise to him later, but right now, more important things were at stake.

Suddenly, she sensed someone else was in the room. Tensing her body, she whirled round, and encountered darkness, still, she heard the sound of breathing continue, turning round, she almost screamed in fright, as Darth Sidious stood mere feet from her, blocking her access to the computer terminal.

"Master Jedi, your plan won't work." He said in a gravely tone as he probed her mind. "You intend to show this to the Jedi High Council, but now, you'll never get the chance." He laughed mirthlessly and she took a risk. Shooting her hand forward, she banged down on the emergency button and ignited her lightsaber, though it was all in vain.

Darth Sidious ignited his and with a swift thrust, disarmed her, her lightsaber being thrown into a dark, shadowy corner of the room.

Her mouth turned bone-dry and she breathed a slight sigh of relief when a beeping noise sounded near the terminal. Meanwhile, as Darth Sidious was occupied in deleting all evidence from the terminal, she dived forwards and leapt down the flight of stairs that had appeared in the floor.

Glancing back, she saw the black robes of Lord Sidious approaching, but the tunnel door sealed before he could reach her.

Nearly about to cry, Jocasta stumbled down the dark tunnel and eventually, she reached what seemingly felt like a wall, but to her touch, silently swung open. Looking out, she realised that she was in the room with 1000 fountains. It was quiet, apart from the gentle bubbling of the fountains.

Hearing nothing behind her, Jocasta stepped out and glanced around the room, before walking briskly to the door and entering the busy main hallway.

Accessing a nearby terminal, she logged in to the public announcements sector and spoke, her voice being heard throughout the Temple. "Members of the Jedi Order, a Sith has breached the Temple. I repeat, a Sith has breached the Temple! I encountered a Sith Lord in the Holocron Room. Be on your guard."

She logged off and quickly hurried to the Council Chamber, before repeating her story to the Jedi High Council.

"Master Yoda, members of the Council, I have grave news. A Sith has penetrated the Temple and accessed the Holocron Room. His name…" Here she paused, before continuing. "The Sith Lord I encountered was Darth Sidious."

There was a shocked silence, before chaos broke out. Voices spoke across each other and Master Yoda looked gravely at Jocasta. "Dark times, the Jedi have entered."

Suddenly, there was a whirring noise and the hologram projector near the door suddenly sprang into life. Appearing twice the normal size in the screen was the Supreme Chancellor.

"Ah. Master Jedi, I come bearing terrible news. A tragedy has occurred right here within our own sector. The CIS have attacked Corellia, Coronet to be precise, and…well. See for yourself." The image of the Chancellor was replaced by an image of the planet wide devastation that the CIS had caused when they attacked Coronet hours earlier.

"By the Force." Jocasta said breathlessly, tears welling up in her eyes at the thought of the thousands, and millions now dead.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Darth Sidious smiled thinly as Jocasta fled the Holocron room. Disabling the force-field that protected the holocrons, he seized the ones relating to the sith and walked quickly towards a small grey plaque embed in the floor.

The writing on it was ancient, and translated; it read "Those who walk here walk on the bones of the Temple." Quietly, he knelt down and pressed a small button hidden in the north-eastern corner.

With a loud grating noise, the plaque slid back and he jumped down a small hole, which led to a large dark cavern. Small glowing lights lit the way up to a kind of natural podium, an over-hang of rock sticking out from the wall. It was here that Sidious stood and looked over the large cavern, which revealed many secrets that one couldn't see from the hole.

Far below, on the cavern floor, stood rows and rows of Clone Troopers, the "Grand Army of the Republic". He smiled sinisterly and pressed a button on the control panel in front of him. Then, the computer inside each of the clone's helmets began programming in the orders that they would be commanded by the Leader of the Clone Troopers Army, Chancellor Palpatine.

Whirling round, his black robes made a swishing noise as he left the cavern through a different doorway, before silently walking down the passageway and through the door into 500 Republica.

Subdued lights shone in the room that Sidious stepped into, the sub-basement of 500 Republica. Only the faint noise of the generators could be heard as he quickly changed his clothes and donned the chancellery robes, before exiting the sub-basement and accessing a turbo-lift that would take him directly back to his luxurious apartment suite.

No one else was in the corridor when he departed the lift and entered his suite, before locking the door behind him.

Blissfully, he took in the blood-red surroundings, where himself, as his persona as Lord Sidious and Jocasta Nu had sat hours earlier.

Though at the time, she did not know he was Lord Sidious, only that he offered her an opportunity to stop the Chancellor receiving the Military Creation Act and approving the Clone Army.

She had willingly accepted and never once did she guess that he was Lord Sidious, never once did she even remotely connect him, the Chancellor, to Darth Sidious.

Wandering over to the window, he stared wistfully out of it, looking down at Coruscant, before turning away and closing the blinds.

Then, he activated a small hologram transmitter in the floor and connected to the Senate Rotunda, where he began to lead discussions from the privacy of his apartment. His excuse was that he was on the list of people marked for either kidnapping, or assassination.

Finally, 2 hours after he had started, the discussions finished and he closed down the transmitter, before retreating to his tactical control room, where he controlled, viewed and plotted the aspects of the Clone Wars.

It would be from here that the Galaxy would enter the darkest days of its time. It would be from here that he would proclaim a new Galactic Empire, and it would be from here, that he exterminated the Jedi Order in the Great Purge.

He laughed evilly and then sealed the door, before activating the transmitter in the room and connecting to General Grievous and Count Dooku. "Leaders of the CIS, this is what I want you to do…" he said to them, explaining his plan, before smiling sinisterly.

Meanwhile, in the Council chambers, the Jedi Council surveyed what had happened to Coronet, while Jocasta readied herself to prepare her brief to the Council about the shadowy incident that had occurred deep within the sealed Holocrons Room.

When the Council had finished examining the holographic photos, they turned to Jocasta.

Yoda spoke quietly, his voice filling up the empty, stagnant air and bringing a breath of fresh life into the Council. "Some news to tell us, you have, Master Nu?" He said questioningly, his green face staring into Jocasta's.

"Well, yes," Jocasta said, her eyes swivelling round the Council in turn, glancing at each and every member. "I was attacked in the Holocrons Room." She said finally, staring defiantly into Yoda's eyes.

"Who was it?" Mace Windu asked forcefully, his eyebrows narrowed and his face frowning. Jocasta paused for a moment, "It was… Darth Sidious." She said faintly.

There was a ripple of murmured outrage from the Council. "The truth you speak, is this?" Yoda said, his eyebrows lifted in question.

"Yes, why would I lie? You can check the security logs if you wish!" Jocasta said angrily, rebuffed by the fact that her claims had been cast into doubt.

Yoda began to speak, but was then interrupted by the sudden appearance of the Chancellor's hologram. "Jedi Council," Palpatine began, "The Senate has decided. The Jedi Order is to serve as the Generals of the Republic. The Clone Army will now be mobilised. Good-day." The hologram faded and Yoda shook his head sorrowfully.

"A bad decision, the Senate have made. Dark ahead, I sense." He said, half to himself and half to Jocasta. Wearily, he waved at Jocasta and she primly departed, before Yoda dismissed the Council and slowly returned back to his room.

As Jocasta hurried down the corridor, her mind was engaged in the whirling mass of thoughts she had. _What has the Chancellor done?_ She thought to herself, mulling the options over. Sighing, she avoided a near-miss with a young Jedi student and walked quickly into the Archives, there; she sat down and accessed her computer, before scanning through the logs that had passed through the Archives.

She glanced at one and the hairs on the back of her neck stiffened intensely. The Chancellor had recently used an unmarked holo-net address to access secure files! She gasped as she read on, he had read right into these logs.

Standing up, she hardened her resolve and made a decision. The Council must be informed, but mere moments ago, they had been dismissed. Choosing her options, Jocasta headed to the room of the only Master she could trust: Yoda.

Tenaciously, she knocked on the wooden door, feeling the hard wood reverberate slightly. There was an answering 'Come in, Master Nu.', before the door swung open and she stepped into the gloomy quarters of Yoda.

He sat on a small padded stool, light coming in from several strips in the blinds that covered the window. She glanced at him as she sat down, and then began to tell him what she had discovered.

"Master Yoda, I have some disturbing news. It involves the Chancellor," She said timidly, as Yoda's ears pricked up at the mention of the Chancellor. "You see," She continued. "I accessed the security logs, and found that…. he had accessed the logs and deleted something. It was…something in the Holocron Archives."

Yoda frowned slightly. "Taken a holocron, he has." He glanced at her knowingly as she looked at him fearfully. "W-What holocron did he take?" She said, her eyes misting up with tears.

Sighing, Yoda spoke quietly. "Taken the Great Sith Holocron, the treacherous Chancellor has."

Jocasta stared in shock at him, not registering the words. So, the love of her life, was a Sith. She gasped and broke down; the strain was all too much.

Yoda frowned heavily, before getting up and limping out of the door, leaning heavily on his stick. "Confront the Chancellor, we must. Arrange the Council, I will. Stay here, you must. Alert the Temple, you will." He said finally, before getting into his hover-chair and using the Force to send a message to all Jedi Masters.

No later than 10 minutes, the Council was assembled, their lightsabers hanging at their sides, as their robes flared. Standing in front of several air-taxis, they boarded them and used the Force to guide them to the Republic Executive Building, where the Chancellor no doubt was.

As the building swung into view, the Jedi sensed the Chancellor waiting for them. They felt his presence suddenly fade and sped to the Building with all due haste.

When they got there, they immediately entered the office and found it deserted. A hologram played repeatedly, it was Palpatine informing them smugly that he had gone to attend a Senate meeting.

Instantly, the Council mobilised and dashed to the Senate building, where, several clone squadrons stood waiting for them, as per Master Yoda's orders. The small army assembled and together, they entered the Senate building, before reaching the huge doors inscribed with the Great Seal of the Republic, and all signatory planet names.

They all paused for a moment, before opening the doors and stepping into the Senate Rotunda, their lightsabers swinging freely at their sides.

Yoda, ahead of the rest of the Council, spotted the Chancellor on his podium in the centre of the Rotunda and immediately boarded a floating holo-pod, with the rest getting in several other pods.

Together, they floated towards the Chancellor and stepped off, onto his podium. Mace and Yoda both stepped up behind the Chancellor, as Mace announced in a baritone voice. "Supreme Chancellor, you are arrest!" His announcement was heard throughout the Senate, as it was broadcast through the public address system.

The Senate gasped as Palpatine slowly turned round and calmly spoke to Mace. "No, Master Windu. I think it is _you_ who is under arrest." He motioned to the Clone squadrons and they drew out their blasters, arranged in a circle around the Chancellor and the Jedi Council.

Knowing it was hopeless, Yoda lowered his lightsaber, and yet, seconds later, he spun round and ignited it, decapitating several Clone troopers as the rest of the Council did the same. In mere seconds, there were no troopers left.

Palpatine smirked slightly, before, lightning-fast, whipped out his own electrum-plated lightsaber and ignited it, the blood-red saber illuminating his face.

"Tonight Jedi, is the night when your Order shall perish!" He hissed, before swiping at Ki-Adi Mundi and killing him. Flipping backwards, he landed into a pod and then jumped down the long, long way into the Ante-room of the Chancellor's podium room.

He swiftly boarded a secret lift that would take him to the Chancellor's office and smiled as the Jedi were left stranded on the podium, their pods having been knocked away when Palpatine boarded one.

However, they weren't stumped for long, as they swiftly leapt down using the Force, and dashed into the ante-room of the Chancellor's podium.

Yoda scanned the surrounding areas using the Force, and then came to the conclusion that there was only one place the Chancellor could have escaped to: his office.

Hurriedly, they rushed out of the building and used Force Speed to reach the Republic Executive Building in record time.

Meanwhile, the Chancellor sat calmly at his desk, the mess having been cleared away using the Force. He sat and smiled evilly, he was expecting the Jedi…

As quickly as they could, the Jedi reached the entrance to the Chancellor's ante-office and knocked out the two Red Guards guarding the door.

Mace utilized the Force and bashed down the door using a very heavy Force Push. The Council swept in and knocked out all the individuals in the office, before smashing down the Chancellor's office doors and stepping in.

Palpatine surveyed them calmly, his eyes flicking to each Council member. Slowly, he stood up and called his lightsaber to his hand, where it landed with an expectant snap.

"So, Jedi, you were foolish enough to follow me here…" He said, his eyes glinting evilly. He ignited his lightsaber and sprung over his desk, before decapitating Kit-Fisto.

Swiftly, the Jedi did their best to defend themselves, but, in the end, all of the Council were dead save Yoda, Mace Windu and Adi Galia.

They were arranged in a concentric circle, all arranged facing outwards, with Palpatine circling around them. A fierce wind blew in from the smashed window, damaged earlier on during the fight.

His robes whipping around him, Palpatine retreated to the window ledge, where Mace swiftly kicked him as his lightsaber went spinning away. Yoda stood poised above him, lightsaber ignited.

Meanwhile, Adi Galia stood to the Chancellor's right, barring all way out for the Chancellor

Mace frowned and shouted at the Chancellor through the fierce wind that blew around the office. "You won't live beyond today, Sidious!"

Palpatine grinned evilly and suddenly, lightning shot from his finger, hitting Mace in the chest where he had forgotten to ignite his saber. Mace screamed in pain, before being thrown out of the broken window and down, the many stories into the streets below.

Yoda shook his head sadly, now only three masters were still alive in the entire Order on Coruscant. Raising his green lightsaber, he prepared himself and consoled himself with the fact that it was for the benefit of the entire Order.

He thrust his lightsaber down into Sidious' chest and smiled thinly.

Sidious glared at Yoda with immeasurable hate in his eyes, before exploding violently, the explosion shielded by the Force shield Yoda had thrown up around the Jedi mere seconds before.

There was silence in the office, broken only by the faint humming of Palpatine's computer. Slowly, the two Jedi headed back towards the entrance to Palpatine's office.

Suddenly, hidden by the door, a Sith apprentice burst out, aiming for Adi Galia and managing to fatally stab her through the head, before being killed by Yoda.

Adi moaned slightly and then fell forwards, before dissipating the instant she hit the ground. Yoda shook his head sorrowfully. Now the Order only had one Master alive from the incident with the Chancellor.

Yoda's senses began to blare, so he rushed to a nearby window. There, silhouetted against the bleak darkness of Coruscant's night, the Jedi Temple stood burning. Thousands upon thousands of Clone Troopers marched up the stairs to the Jedi Temple. All around them lay littered the bodies of Jedi students, knights and masters, having all fallen during the conflict.

Shots were fired from the Temple and all available Jedi rushed out in waves from the main doors, the other doors having been sealed. They were met with innumerable blaster shots, many of the Jedi battling bravely, before falling.

Soon, all the defenders apart from a few lay dead, the rest having sealed themselves in the Temple to hide from the army of clone troopers that swept down upon the Temple like a torrential rainstorm. Again and again, several _Vector_-class star destroyers hovered around the Temple, blasting bolt after bolt into the towers and the surrounding buildings.

A huge mechanized crane was brought in, with a large durasteel ball affixed to one end, floating on repulsorlifts. Again and again it swung into the main sealed doors of the Temple, cracking the doors bit by bit. Eventually, the stress became too much and the doors folded in like paper-matchsticks, leaving no threat to the clone army that swarmed in like bees to a hive.

One by one, they exterminated the Jedi protectors, over-whelming and superior in their numbers and brute strength. One by one, the Jedi began fall like flies, each Jedi Master killed, the pain etched on Yoda's heart like graffiti on a statue.

Soon, all that remained were 2 defiant Jedi Masters, several Jedi Knights and 20 or so Jedi Padawans. Together, they prepared the last line of defence against the 501st squadron and clone army that swept the hallways, rooms and corridors like a malicious plague, killing all in their path. The remaining Jedi barricaded themselves inside the Archives, the huge thick doors temporarily protecting them from the purge.

However, they hadn't counted upon the secret entrance from the Holocrons room, and thus were outnumbered and surprised when the first wave of troops surged in from the holocrons room. The younglings retreated to the upper balconies, with the Jedi Knights guarding the lower balconies. The two Jedi Masters fought courageously, before finally being killed.

The Jedi were continually being swept back higher and higher, until they reached the final balcony, and could go no more.

Above the highest balcony were clear glass skylights, which led onto the pointed roof of the Archives.

When the clone army advanced, the Jedi Knights told the younglings to escape to the roof, while they battled with the clones, before they too, the last line of defence for the Padawans, died.

Many of the Padawans were killed before they could make it onto the roof, and only 5 managed to get astride the roof.

Meanwhile, a senate holocam circled the area, recording all the morbid details, before transmitting them to the Senate Rotunda.

The Senators in the Rotunda watched shocked and horrified as one poor male Padawan slipped and fell off the roof, falling, slowly, gracefully to his death, while being shot at by several troopers on the ground.

Then, an urgent news broadcast appeared on the holocam. It transmitted directly around the Republic. The Supreme Chancellor, Palpatine had been murdered in his office as part of an assassination attempt. The assassins were the Jedi, the broadcast said, sounding sincere and reliable, though it was exactly the opposite. Citizens of the Republic all around the Galaxy listened in shock as they learned that their famous, kind and beloved leader had been killed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Yoda eventually left the Republic Executive Building, watching sadly as the Temple burned, a symbol of how treacherous the Republic had become. The flaming Temple stood high on the horizon, capturing the attention of everyone as flames soared in the oppressive, heavy, tense atmosphere.

Bits of debris fell from the crumbling towers as flames consumed them and explosions could be heard, thundering right across Coruscant. Senators, citizens and indeed, the whole Republic watched on, shocked at the treacherous actions of the late Supreme Chancellor. As the clones evacuated the Temple, their commander was carried out on a makeshift stretcher, having been killed by the last remaining Master, before the master too, was destroyed by the remainder of the army.

Yoda hurried to the remaining air-taxi that had been left, parked outside the Executive Building. Quickly, he boarded the taxi and drove off towards his little space-port, hidden deep within the bowels of the city.

Once there, he opened up the space-port hangar doors, boarded his small ship and took off, leaving Coruscant as the last Jedi Master to do so. The last Jedi Master in the galaxy.

Plotting a course in, he input the coordinates for Polis Massa and sat back, watching as stars blurred into lines as he jumped into hyperspace.

Eventually, the rocky asteroid of Polis Massa appeared in the view port, and Yoda took the opportunity to use a recently installed sky elevator to depart from his ship to the asteroid itself.

Once on the asteroid, he made his way into the medical centre that it secretly was, and met up with the other five members of the Jedi Order that had managed to survive.

Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location on Alderaan, the person known as 'Darth Sidious' prepared the final stages of their plan and then boarded a waiting personal diplomatic shuttle that would take them to Coruscant.

The shuttle itself was luxurious and opulent, a descendant of the old prototype models used before the Clone Wars. A thick durasteel door barred the cabins from the cockpit, again, a carry-on from the Clone Wars, when it was too dangerous to allow anyone access to the cock-pit.

The shuttle itself was a Marketta-class shuttle, fully armoured, with extensive shields enveloping the tri-wings and several small turbo-lasers affixed to the rear and front of the ship. Two bigger turbo-lasers were also on the tri-wings.

Gracefully, the small shuttle lifted up off the landing-pad and pointed nose-up at the atmosphere of Alderaan. Engaging the rear thrusters, it shot away from the landing pad with surprising nimbleness and speed.

Darth Sidious settled themselves in the cabin nicely, before ordering the pilot to jump to hyperspace, thus ensuring a quick arrival time of an hour.

Eventually, the huge city-planet of Coruscant appeared in the view-port. Slowly, almost stately, the shuttle entered the atmosphere and flitted in and out of the skyscrapers that dotted Coruscant to find the landing pad that had been requested only a 2 minute air-taxi drive away from the Republic Executive Building and the Senate.

A light shower of rain drizzled down, wetting the marble floor of the landing pad, and making the shiny surfaces of the skyscrapers slick. As the rain continued, it slowly and steadily rained harder and harder, before eventually accumulating in a torrential rainstorm. The figure hurried to a waiting sheltered air-taxi, before being swiftly and covertly transported to the Republic Executive Building where they paid the driver of the air-taxi and hurried into the round dome. The richly decorated corridors and hallways were deserted. The carpet muffling the sound, the mysterious figure dressed all in black made their way stately down the long expanse of corridor, heavily furnished with touch-screens, long luxurious seats and rare paintings. The only noise was the quiet footfalls the strange made on the thick carpet, and a few contented hums from a cleaning droid as it moved down the corridor. Soon, even that noise disappeared and silence hung in the air, like a thick woollen cloak.

The grand doors that led into the outer office of the late Supreme Chancellor stood at the far end of the corridor, dominating the eyes, once they could be drawn away from the false splendour that the surroundings of the corridor created.

The Great Seal of the Republic was emblazoned upon either side of the door, encircling it were the words '_Office of the Supreme Chancellor_'. As the figure slowly moved towards the doors, they slid open soundlessly as they approached. The inside of the outer office was neat, orderly and…deserted. A touch-screen stood before one wall, randomly displaying chunks of news pulled off the HoloNet, while the receptionist's desk was strangely devoid of anything.

The doors that lead into the public office of the Chancellor stood open, slightly ajar, and a cold, harsh wind blew in from that direction. Slowly, almost stealthily, the cloaked figure entered the office and stared around at the carnage.

A lamp that previously stood on one of the sofas' armrests was on the floor, smashed and destroyed. Several chairs that once stood in front of the huge desk were scattered around the room. The huge panoramic window was smashed, papers and glass alike being swirled around the room.

However, their attention was drawn to what, or rather, who was lying, stone cold on the ledge of the immense window. Their robes were whipped around them, and their face was discoloured, not being the face of the late Supreme Chancellor, but rather that of an old, old man. Their yellow fingernails were clenched in fury and the cloaked figure was surprised to see that the late Supreme Chancellor had not exploded, as many powerful Dark Side users did when they died.

The cold, staring, cat-yellow eyes glared accusingly at them as they slowly picked up the body using the Force and chucked it through the smashed window into the heavy traffic below.

Slowly, the cloaked figure sat down in the Chair of Office that had thankfully not been touched during the immense battle that must have taken place here. Gracefully, they slowly lowered their hood and stared at their reflection in a small mirror near the desk.

Then, smiling evilly, they activated the entire Coruscant-wide broadcasting system and began speaking into it. "Loyal citizens of the Republic, and of Coruscant; It is I, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine speaking to you once more. Many of you think I died, however, this is purely false information spread by the Jedi. Some how, they must have tampered with the broad-casting system. That does not matter now, as they were a threat to the Republic, they have been wiped out now. I hereby order an Extraordinary Session of the Senate to start immediately. All Senators are to come to the Senate Building at once."

He cut off the com-link and then dressed himself in the robes of the Chancellor, having many robes helped. Then, once satisfied with his appearance, he called for his small transport-shuttle via hologram and then took off for the Senate, before landing and entering the Chancellor's Holding Office.

There, he boarded the Chancellor's podium, along with the Vice-Chair and other officials. As he rose up, he saw that the Senators had already assembled, most of them eager to hear what he had to say.

The podium reached its max and then Palpatine began to speak. "Citizens of the civilized Galaxy, on this day we mark a transition. For a thousand years, the Republic stood as the crowning achievement of civilized beings. But there were those who would set us against one another, and we took up arms to defend our way of life against the Separatists. In so doing, we never suspected that the greatest threat came from within.

The Jedi, and some within our own Senate, had conspired to create the shadow of Separatism using one of their own as the enemy's leader. They had hoped to grind the Republic into ruin. But the hatred in their hearts could not be hidden forever. At last, there came a day when our enemies showed their true natures.

The Jedi hoped to unleash their destructive power against the Republic by assassinating the head of government and usurping control of the clone army. But the aims of would-be tyrants were valiantly opposed by those without elitist, dangerous powers. Our loyal clone troopers contained the insurrection within the Jedi Temple and quelled uprisings on a thousand worlds.

The remaining Jedi will be hunted down and defeated. Any collaborators will suffer the same fate. These have been trying times, but we have passed the test. The attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed, but I assure you my resolve has never been stronger. The war is over. The Separatists have been defeated, and the Jedi rebellion has been foiled. We stand on the threshold of a new beginning. In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire, for a safe and secure society, which I assure you will last for ten thousand years. An Empire that will continue to be ruled by this august body and a sovereign ruler chosen for life. An Empire ruled by the majority, ruled by a new constitution.

By bringing the entire Galaxy under one law, one language, and the enlightened guidance of one individual, the corruption that plagued the Republic in its later years will never take root. Regional governors will eliminate the bureaucracy that allowed the Separatist movement to grow unchecked. A strong and growing military will ensure the rule of law.

Under the Empire's New Order, our most cherished beliefs will be safeguarded. We will defend our ideals by force of arms. We will give no ground to our enemies and will stand together against attacks from within or without. Let the enemies of the Empire take heed: those who challenge Imperial resolve will be crushed.

We have taken on a task that will be difficult, but the people of the Empire are ready for the challenge. Because of our efforts, the galaxy has traded war for peace and anarchy for stability. Billions of beings now look forward to a secure future. The Empire will grow as more planets feel the call, from the Rim to the wilds of unknown space.

Imperial citizens must do their part. Join our grand star fleet. Become the eyes of the Empire by reporting suspected insurrectionists. Travel to the corners of the Galaxy to spread the principles of the New Order to barbarians. Build monuments and technical wonders that will speak of our glory for generations to come.

The clone troopers, now proudly wearing the name of Imperial stormtroopers, have tackled the dangerous work of fighting out enemies on the front lines. Many have died in their devotion to the Empire. Imperial citizens would do well to remember their example.

The New Order of peace has triumphed over the shadowy secrecy of shameful magicians. The direction of our course is clear. I will lead the Empire to glories beyond imagining.

We have been tested, but we have emerged stronger. We move forward as one people: the Imperial citizens of the first Galactic Empire. We will prevail. Ten thousand years of peace begins today."

The Senate began clapping and cheering, Palpatine smiled thinly. The troublesome Senators that still remained would be silenced. All would go well. In time, the Senate would be disbanded.

The Senate quickly passed the announcement, making it official law.

Palpatine laughed quietly to himself as the Senate declared him 'Emperor'. Several squads from the 501st Legion quickly took up inconspicuous positions around the Senate, silently and lethally firing small bullets at troublesome Senators, quietly injecting them with lethal poison darts, chemicals and agents that would slowly kill them.

Senator Bail Organa, Mon Mothma and Senator Padme Skywalker amongst others were all silently and inconspicuously injected with agents that would slowly deteriorate their bodies and slowly, but surely kill them with no traces of the poison used, nor any reason for a post-mortem to establish how and why they died.

Palpatine smiled evilly, his new Empire was about to begin. The Jedi Order was disbanded. Everything was as he had foreseen.


End file.
